Berry-picker.



Gf. M. HOLMES. V

BERRY PIKEB.' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1908.

Patented' June 8, 1909.

3 SHEETS-B HEBT v2.

[N VEN T OR Attorney ter speciied, that the dip of the gathering fingers or tines into the bog can be regulated Y berries, but also to cut and remove useless runnersfor'long-vines, so as to prevent consists in certain novel features of conyoke, the lower end of a screw 8 issecured. The screw 8 passes freely through ahole in a` UNITED STATES PATENT @mea GEORGE M. HOLMES,` or Kixesroxnassacnusn'rrs, .assieme To jLIzzIE E; noLuEs'tfor BRYAxTvnLLE. MASSACHUSETTS.

Y BERRY-Promis.

V1-m.`924,552. i specification of Pstentedsaafs, isos.

Letters Patent.

v Application filed September 24, 1908. Serial No. 454,564f ,f` 'i To all whom #may conce-rn:-

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. HOLMES, of Kingston, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Berry- Pickers; and I do hereby declare the following vto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to an improvement in berry pickers, and more particularlyto such as are adaptable for use in gathering cranbemes,-one object of the inventiong being to so construct amachine of the characi and controlled and thus enhanceV the efficiency of the machine in gathering berries.

A further object is to provide a machine 1 which will operate not only to gather the should become entangled with such runners.

With these objects in view the invention struction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a berry picking machine embodying my. invention. ,F ig. 2 is a plan view. Fig.l 3 is a rear view with the handles removed, and Figs. 4 andv 5 are det-ail views, on an enlarged scale, showing the picking devices and the runner cutters.

1 represents a frame mounted upon the journals of a roller 2. `The frame-1 is made with a rearwardly projecting portion 3 having vertical slots 4 in which'the bearing boxes l 5 for the journals of ra roller' 6, are mounted. A yoke 7 is attached at its ends Ltothe bearing boxes 5 and yto an intermediate part of this cross-head 9 secured to the rear portion of'` the frame 1 over the roller 6 and, on this screw, a hand wheel 10 is located. By means of these devices the bearing boxes- 5:

j can'be'vertically adjusted soastoieliectn l tilting of the frame on its bearingsnfon the j journals of the rollera-nd thusadj ust the E forward .end of the machine'vertically-forja i purpose which will beQliereinafter ,fjxplained` A horizontal shaft 11,1 is mounted in su-itable bearings at the top of the framework 1 3 and to this shaft twosprocket wheels 12 are secured in proximity Yto its respective ends. for the accommodation of picking devices.-

the latter also passingover sprocket wheels l13 secured to a shaft' 14. The shaft 1-1 mounted in bearing boxes 15 at the forward end of the framework and these bearing 16- -17 for the purpose of maintaining the picking mechanism taut. A

The picking mechanism comprises numerous fingers or tines 18 'arranged in groups to means of chains, two of which pass over the sprocket wheels 12 and"13. Each chanIQ of the picking mechanism comprises links 2H and 21, the former being made integral with the bases of the fingers or tines andmade to alternate with the links 21. The several j chains are located side byside `and caused to travel together by means of cross-rods, 22. The width of the picking mechanism is deteri mined by' the numberjof chains employed `andthe spacing apart of the fingers of the vai rious groups by the alternate links 21 of ,the

chains 19. In orderjto afford means for venting the latter from` being torn and-the proximity to the bases, of each group of `fingers, as clearly shownin Fig-l..

A beveled gear 24 isf-mounted loosely on a journal of'the'roller 2 and is adapted tobe connected yn'th the latter by means of a clutch 25. A lever 26 isv provided for operating this clutch. A vertical shaft 27' is mounted in suitable bearings on the frame' `1 and carries at its lower end a beveled gear 28 24. A bevel gear 29 issecured to the upper end of the vertical shaft??? and transmits' n10- tion to a similar gear lsecured to thershalft 11 which carries the sprocket wheels 12." By means of the gearing ahbve described, motion be transmittedfltothe picking mechanism andthe latter caiijsedfto travel vcontinu'ously after the ofanendlessdrive chain. -In order that' the pickingmechanism boxes are. adjustable `by means of. screws form a series of scoops and are carriedby '75 cutting the runnersfin the bog and preberries shaken oil", knives 2.3 are secured in which receives motion from the beveled gear y described, to the sprocket wheels 12 and shall be driven-at a proper speed, the ratio of the gears 24 and28 wil preferably be 2 tol,

n tlthough this ratio may he variedmore or ess.

A bor-2 or crate 31. is mounted onthe fra-me in rear of the picking mechanism so as tov receive berries from the latter.

Handles 32 are secured to the framework and suitably braced by means of bars 33.

In' order to preventthe berries from escap- 'Iing laterally from the picking mechanism,

suitable guards '34. are provided at each side of the latter.

Inoperating the machine by pushing it forwardly, the traction or driving roller 2 will impart motion, through the gearing above the vines; the result being a `loss of berries when the dip is not deep enough, or a tearingup of the plants or vines when the dip is too deep. These defects are cured in. my .machine by the manipulation of the adjustable roller 6 so as to raise or lower the rear end of the machine and cause it to tilt on the journals of the roller 2 as a fulcrum and thereby raise or lower the picking `mechanism atlthe forward end of the frame and cause the picking fingers to dip more or lessdeeply into the plants or vines. the machine has been adjusted so that the proper dip of the picking mechanism will e eected, this adjustment-can be maintained/or it can be readily 'changed as lthe case may rel uire.

Itis well nown that on all bogs, many long useless vines are present and are liable to be engaged by picking mechanism as heretofore constructed and the berry bearing branches torn and shaken so as to destroy them and shake off the berries. These useless vines or runnersfare also apt to inteif;

fere lwith the proper operation of the ma# chine. YWith my machine however, the said vines or ,runners will be cut by the knives 23 and when thus severed they will be carried up with the berries and deposited in the box or crate 31 by4 the scoops or'groups of picking fingers. It will be observed that the groups of fingers forming the scoops rise so high as they come out from the vines, that the bearing vines cannot be injured by the knives, as only the runners are long enough to be reached by said knives.

Various slight changes might be made'in the details of construction. of my invention Without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hence I do not wish to restrict myself to the precise details herein set forth. A

Having fully described niy-invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is,-

1. In a machine of the character described, l

.chains to be driven by said sprocket wheels,

means for driving said sprocket wheels, picking fingers carried by t e chains, said p1cking fingers arranged in grou s, and knives secured to the groups of pic ring fingers in i proximity to the b'ase portions thereof.

3. In a machine ofthe characteidescribed, the combination with a traveling frame and two sets of sprocket wheelsmounted thereon', of a series of endless chains to be driven by said sprocket wheels, a series of fingers cai'- ried by said chains and the alternate links of each chain each constituting an integral extension from one of said fingers, and driving mechanism.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a traveling frame and twosets of sprocket wheels mounted thereon, and a series of endless chains' driven by said sprocket wheels, of a series of picking fingers .projecting from links of each chain and the picking fingers of the several chains arranged -in groups forming scoops, and guards at iespective sides of the series of sprocket wheels and chains and the groups of picking fingers.

5. In a machine of the character described,'

the combination with a frame, a roller on which said frame is mounted, sprocket wheels mounted in the up er portion of said frame, and sprocket 'wliee s mounted in the forward portion of said frame, of endless sprocket chains, picking fingers projecting from links of said chains, a vertical shaftmounted on the frame, gearing between said shaft anda journal of said roller, gearing between said vertical shaft and the shaft of the sprocket wheels at the upper portion of the frame, and a clutch for throwing said gearing into and out of operation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

' GEORGE M. HOLMES.

Witnesses FRANCIS J. HiiAvnNs, Gino. H. HOLMES.

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